The Passage of Time
by Lithium Amaranth
Summary: The passage of time is almost meaningless to the three travelers as they continue their journey between worlds. It isn't until Kurogane reacts unusually sensitively to an injury that makes Fai realize...that time has more meaning than he thought.


**I've realized something...Ever since my story 'Yomogi Nursery' all my stories since then have been steadily declining in quality. And the reason for that is because I can't seem to stick to ONE THEME for each fic -_-' I think I've covered at least three plot bunnies of mine in this fic so if it seems like it's jumping around awkwardly then just tell me. I need verification for this.**

**Likewise let me know if I'm wrong and I did well XD Seriously, I hope everyone enjoys this fic...not matter how little faith I have in it TT_TT**

**If any of you are curious about my story 'Red Light District' I'm sorry that it's been a long time, but I'm having writer's block for the sequel. So if any of you are waiting for it, Thank you for waiting patiently. It shouldn't be too much longer.**

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing but the Plot ^^ All characters belong to CLAMP**

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><p>It had been several years since their journey had continued.<p>

Jumping from world to world seemed as natural now as if they were to live ordinary lives in their home worlds. With the Black Mokona's earring in place on the White Mokona's ear, the memories of Yuko's Nihon, Nihon and Clow Country were especially strong and therefore allowed the trio to visit with Sakura, Watanuki and Tomoyo more often than any other worlds.

Yuko had once spoken to them about traveling between dimensions, that it was dangerous…that still held true even now. Even with the absence of the threat of Fei-Wang Reed, some dimensions were more perilous than others.

In the country they were currently in, they had come across some feral, shapeless monsters reminiscent of the ones Outo Country.

"When are we gonna switch world's manjuu!" Kurogane shouted, drawing Ginryuu on the demons again and again. Mokona rode inside the hood of Syaoran's cloak to keep safe.

"Mokona can't tell when! We can't go until the earring glows!" it shouted back. Fai was at a disadvantage in this battle. He had to write out the spells he was casting before he implied them. The stronger they were, the longer they took. These monsters were fast. He went back to dodging them as much as possible in order to buy himself time to cast a decent counter spell.

"Well we can't keep fighting them like this forever!" Fai shouted as he flipped himself backwards a few times away from the claws of one of the demons. He cast a grin to Kurogane.

"Have any ideas Kuro-tan?" he asked, dodging another swipe at him. Kurogane scoffed.

"Even at a time like this you're at it with the names!" he complained. Fai chuckled, finally being able to send a blast at one of the demons.

"Would you rather I use your long, dull and boring full name?" he teased. Kurogane cut one demon down the middle, letting it fall away. He turned to him.

"Yes!" he replied, irked.

"Fai-san's right though! We need to get to safety somewhere!" Syaoran said. He sliced one of the demons before he summoned his Fuka-Shorai technique. Suddenly Syaoran's head cast a large shadow on his sword from an unknown light source. He turned his head slightly.

"Finally." Kurogane grunted as he slashed at another demon. Mokona's earring began to glow bright blue. Fai smiled.

"Well that's a relief." he sighed.

"Hold on everybody!" Mokona announced as it cast the magic circle around each of them. They were all so relieved to be leaving this country that Kurogane didn't notice the demon make a move to attack him.

"Kurogane!" Fai shouted. Kurogane turned to him wide-eyed. The last time Fai called him by his full name was when…

Suddenly the demon dropped its claws on him. Fai was able to summon a quick pseudo barrier before the demon could seriously cause Kurogane any damage. It did manage to scrape his arm. Kurogane grunted in pain and clenched his arm. Fai's eyes brow knit together in worry. Kurogane was usually very tolerant of pain. What had caused him to make such a grimace?

Both of their figures disintegrated into Mokona's mouth as they finally left that country of demons.

It didn't matter how many times they jumped dimensions, even after all these years of practice…there were still times that they didn't land on their feet. All three of them fell flat on their faces into soft grass. Syaoran, being uninjured and the first to fall, was back on his feet instantly, ready to face an opponent. Fai was the next to rise and then Kurogane. They all looked around them suspiciously….

It was familiar.

Sure they'd landed in the middle of a forest many times before, but this one gave them a sense of…déjà vu. Once Syaoran turned behind him, he saw a large lake with fog resting on it. He smiled.

They HAD been here before.

Well…his clone had…not him personally.

"Fai-san, Kurogane-san…we're at the world with the lake. The one with the glowing fish under the water and small town at the bottom." he said. Fai turned around and also recognized the lake. He smiled.

"Another relief. At least we know this world's not filled with demons...I hope." he chuckled. Kurogane merely grunted and sat down, leaning against a tree. Fai walked over to him, a worried expression on his face.

"Let me see that wound." the blonde said. Kurogane shook his head.

"It's only a scratch." he said stubbornly. Fai grinned.

"You're not in that much pain if it's just a scratch. Show me your wound Kuro-myuu. I do have fists and I'm not afraid to use them." he smiled. Kurogane frowned.

Kurogane had to admit, he was glad that Fai was rid of his suicidal tendencies…although the alternative personality was much more violent than he appreciated. He scoffed and moved his hand away, revealing his injury. Fai sat down and examined the cut. It was hard to see with all the blood in the way.

"Mokona, can you get me a few of our rags?" he asked. Mokona nodded and opened it's mouth. Syaoran caught the pieces of cloth as they came out of Mokona's mouth.

"I'll go get them wet." he offered, jogging towards the lake. Fai smiled sadly. He looked at Kurogane's bloody wound and sighed.

"I'm sorry Kuro-sama." he said. Kurogane quirked his eyebrow.

"For what?" Fai looked at him with the same sad smile.

"This reminds me of back then, when you sacrificed your arm for me." he said. In response Kurogane moved the mechanical arm, now covered with skin, for Fai to see.

"I'm fine now, but how the hell does this remind you of that?" he asked. Fai looked down.

"I was never able to learn healing magic. I asked Ashura-ou once but…he never really gave me an answer." he said "Back then, when you were lying on the ground, bleeding. There was nothing I could do. I couldn't heal your wound. Even now this is all I can do to help." he sighed. Kurogane placed his hand on top of Fai's head.

"Even after all this time, you're still an idiot. I grew up receiving the injuries I did from my own choice or faults…and they've all healed _without _magic." he then looked at him seriously.

"So it does no good to feel responsible for any wounds I receive." he said sternly. Fai smiled. Kurogane was seeing if he was blaming himself like he'd used to.

"Oh I have no doubt that it was Kuro-tan's reckless actions that gave him all his wounds. I just think that it would be nice to play the part of a dutiful wife who takes care of her handsome husband." he replied cheekily. Kurogane blushed slightly but still smirked.

"Don't say such stupid things when the kid's around." he admonished. Fai smiled. Syaoran came running up shortly, the rags and…his entire body wet. Mokona giggled.

"Syaoran was trying to be careful but he fell right in the lake!" it chimed. Syaoran blushed slightly but still offered the rags so Fai could clean up Kurogane's cut.

"At least you're not hurt." he said. Syaoran nodded as he left to find wood to make a fire and dry his clothes off. Fai took the rags and rung them over Kurogane's wound. The cold water stung a little, but not so much that he couldn't handle.

Fai placed the rag on the cut. Kurogane grimaced and held back a pained grunt. Fai looked at him oddly. The wound must have been deep for Kurogane to feel THIS much pain. Fai cleaned out the cut and it became clearer and clearer. Fai narrowed his eyes. The slash wasn't deep at all. Maybe paper cut deep but that's all. And Kurogane was in pain from this?

"Kuro-min does this hurt?" Fai asked as he applied some pressure to an area near the open wound. Kurogane winced.

"Yes but it's not something I can't handle. I told you before. It's only a scratch." he said. Fai stood up.

"Yes but that's what I'm concerned about. How can you be so affected by something like this when you were able to mostly keep your composure when your entire left shoulder was bleeding from your mechanical arm?"

"Tch. How should I know? That was almost 10 years ago." he said. Fai's limbs fell to his side loosely. He stared wide-eyed at the man before him.

"Kurogane, how do you count years in your country?" he asked. Kurogane was taken aback by the use of his full name again. Fai did that a bit more frequently now than he liked…no matter how many times he pretended to complain about the nicknames. He narrowed his eyes in confusion but replied nonetheless.

"One year is a little over 350 days where I come from. One day is as long as when the sun first rises, sets, then rises again." he said. Fai froze. That was similar to how Celes had counted years. One year was 370 days and one day was as long as Kurogane's days.

"What the hell's the matter with you?" the warrior finally asked. Fai snapped out of his daze and smiled.

"It's nothing. I just haven't kept track of how long we've been traveling." he said. Of course he wouldn't. The passage of time was almost meaningless when traveling like this. He was surprised that Kurogane was keeping track. Kurogane narrowed his eyes at the blonde.

"Don't lie. You suck at it anyway, always have." he scolded. Fai sighed and smiled at him again, honestly.

"It wasn't a total lie. I just thought of something that's all. Anyways about your wound Kuro-run, I'd say just to bandage it up and maybe use some of that salve that Chun' Hyang gave us the last time we saw her. I'm not sure why it hurts so much but if it were poisoned you'd definitely be dead by now." the mage reasoned. Kurogane searched the man for anything suspicious then nodded.

"Fine." he said.

When Mokona and Syaoran returned from gathering firewood, Mokona blew out the bandages and salve for Fai to use on Kurogane. Syaoran soon had the fire roaring as the sun set deeper and deeper. Fai was preparing dinner when Syaoran stood up. The blonde thought of something that he wanted to make sure of. He stood up as well, trying to be inconspicuous about it. His eyes widened. Syaoran had gotten taller. He was only an inch or two shorter than Fai.

Fai sat back down and finished making the dinner. His head was full of thoughts that disturbed him. There had to be a solution. There had to be something he could do to change this. Something he could do to make this wish…

He paused.

A wish. Yes this was his wish…and there will be a price. Fai unconsciously brought his hand to his left eye.

It will be after dinner, after they've gone to sleep, maybe even after the fire has died. He'll make his move then. He'll call for the new proprietor of Yuko's shop to grant his wish. He'll call for Watanuki.

The fire burned low. It wouldn't be long before it was reduced to embers. Fai slept closely to Kurogane. Actually to be more accurate he waited for Kurogane to fall asleep then scooted his sleeping tarp closer to him. He gazed at his face. He'd done this so many times these past ten years. How could he have not noticed? The lightening of Kurogane's hair. The slight pull of skin around his eyes. His slightly slower reflexes. The stronger affect small wounds had on his body…

Kurogane was getting older.

Syaoran was getting older too.

Fai…Fai was a wizard, his magic is what keeps him young like this for decades at a time. He knew he was older than Kurogane by many times Kurogane's current age. He just never thought about how it would affect their future together. Even with Syaoran and Sakura. What will he do when the time comes for them all to pass on and he's the only one still living? Forced to live on in solitude for the remainder of his life. Where will he go? He has no world to return to. He couldn't bear it. He couldn't bear to imagine Kurogane dying before him, and then Syaoran and Sakura as well. He'll die too. He knows that. But why does it have to be so much later than the others?

That's what this wish is for.

As the fire finally died into embers, Fai quietly picked up Mokona and walked towards the lake. He was careful not to slip on any mud like Syaoran had or wake up Mokona. This needed to be kept hidden from the others. At least until he could find a resolution. He whispered something into Mokona's ear.

The red gem on it's forehead glowed and a circular screen appeared before him. It seemed like Watanuki was clearing the table of plates. Was it dinner-time there?

"You could help a bit you know." he complained uselessly to the stoic boy sharing dinner with him. Fai could hear the other Mokona's voice as it announced him.

"Watanuki! You have a call from the travelers!" It said excitedly. Watanuki noticed this and put down the plates.

"Fai-san? What's up? Is there something wrong?" he asked. Fai smiled.

"I have a wish." he said. Watanuki's face grew solomn and serious.

"There will be a price…as you know." he said. Fai nodded.

"I do." he replied. Watanuki called to someone behind him.

"You, Doumeki, make yourself useful and put those plates away for me." he said

"I will if you say please." he replied. Watanuki gritted his teeth.

"Please put the plates away then." he grumbled. The boy named Doumeki nodded and began clearing the table. Once he was gone Watanuki turned back to Fai.

"What is your wish?" he asked. Fai paused for a moment.

"I wish to have a normal lifespan. One where when I die, it will not be far before or after Kurogane's death." he said. The bespectacled boy nodded slowly. He had been filled in on many aspects of Fai's situation once before. Now it seemed time to call upon that knowledge again.

"You no longer have the blood of a vampire in your system do you?" he asked. Fai shook his head.

"I don't. When Syaoran-kun ate my eye and used my magic, he strengthened it so much that it repelled the vampire blood within me. The only thing that's extending my lifespan now is my magic." he said. Watanuki nodded.

"Then your price…will be the magic in your left eye." he said. Fai smiled, he had a feeling that would be the price.

"My left eye is it?" he asked. Watanuki nodded.

"Your left eye is the one that holds the type of magic that grows stronger the more you use it, while in your right eye it grows weaker with every use. If you lose the magic in your left eye then your lifespan will shorten every time you use your magic from here on out. Given how often you've been using your magic recently and what you would be using it for, you should be able to use it three times a day and be able to die at your desired age." he said. Fai nodded. He set Mokona down on the ground, still sleeping.

"Then…here I go again." he said. He held his hand out before him and absorbed all the magic retained in his left eye. His blue iris began to fade into grey as a crystal like substance formed in his hand. He held the crystal for a moment before he sent it through Mokona's mouth. He had to force it open.

"The payment has been received." Watanuki said. He turned back to Fai, a warning look in his eyes.

"I told you. Three times a day. You must heed that as often as you can or you may end up living your life too long or too short." he said sternly. Fai frowned and nodded, just as sternly.

"I understand." he said. With that Watanuki's face lightened and he smiled softly.

"Best of luck to you then Fai-san." he said. Fai smiled as well.

"Thank you Watanuki-kun. You've been getting much better at demanding proper compensation. I know you used to be bad at it." he chuckled. Watanuki nodded.

"I remember, and thank you. Hopefully I'll be seeing you all soon." he said. The Black Mokona's transmitter closed as well as the White Mokona's. Fai sat still and waited, just in case Mokona were to wake up. When it didn't he smiled and blinked a few times. He could still see perfectly fine at least.

"Three times a day huh? That's going to be harder to keep track of than it sounds." he chuckled. A heavy price for a heavy wish. Who really wishes for their lifespan to shorten anyway? Kurogane would be furious when he told him. He chuckled at that.

Quietly he stood up and began to make his way back to the others. He spotted Syaoran's sleeping form and placed Mokona strategically under his blankets like before. He was about to crawl in his own bed when he noticed that Kurogane's spot was empty. He sighed and walked back to the edge of the lake again…away from Syaoran.

"Alright Kuro-min, where are you lurking?" he joked. Kurogane appeared from behind a few trees, a hard expression on his face.

"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded. Fai turned and smiled reassuringly.

"That depends, how much did you hear?" he replied. That must have irked Kurogane. He always hated when he answered a question with a question. Fai then cast him a serious glace.

"How much did you hear? That will tell me how much I need to explain." he clarified. Kurogane narrowed his eyes. His expression softened when he saw Fai wasn't going to hide anything this time.

"I saw you extract your magic from your left eye, and then the conversation following." he said.

"Then you've missed the most crucial part." the blonde said, walking over to Kurogane. He allowed Kurogane to see his grey eye in the slight glow of the moon.

"The magic in my left eye…it's the same eye that the other Syaoran-kun ate 10 years ago. I don't think I've ever explained how my magic works. The magic in my left eye increases the more I use it. You at least know that much from our visit to Celes." he said. Kurogane nodded, surprisingly patient. Fai continued.

"However, the magic in my right eye is the opposite. The more I use it the weaker it grows…and the shorter my lifespan becomes." he explained. Kurogane's eyes widened.

"So you gave away your LEFT eye! Why the hell would you do that!" Kurogane shouted. Fai slapped him and put his finger to his lips.

"Shh! We don't want to wake Syaoran-kun." he hushed. Kurogane rubbed his cheek. Damn. That idiot really was getting more violent with each passing day. Kurogane glared but kept silent. Fai went on to explain again.

"My wish was to shorten my life. My price is to use my magic three times a day to ensure that I don't die too quickly or too late." he said. Kurogane still glared at him.

"I still don't see why you're rushing towards death still. Who do plan on dying for this time!" he hissed.

"No One!" Fai breathed harshly. Kurogane stayed quiet. The look in Fai's eyes wasn't one that he expected. Those weren't the eyes of a suicidal moron. Those were the eyes of a man who's made up his mind and will follow through with whatever he planned to do…whatever it took.

"I won't die for anyone. Not for you. Not for Syaoran, Sakura or Mokona. And I won't die for myself either. It's not about dying for anyone Kurogane. It's about dying WITH you." he said. Kurogane's eye widened. He hadn't expected THAT either. Fai's eyes softened as he looked at Kurogane.

"I'm a wizard Kurogane. I've already lived several times longer than you and will continue to do so even after you die…even after the children pass." He placed his hand on Kurogane's face and traced the lines of the skin around his eyes he saw earlier. The warrior's expression also softened as he placed his hand on Fai's. He grabbed it and pulled Fai to him, dragging him into a kiss. Fai didn't hesitate, he returned the kiss tenderly.

He wrapped his arms around his lovers neck as he brought them closer together. Kurogane in turn encircled his arms around Fai's waist. He held on to him protectively. The kiss wasn't about lust or passion. It was about savoring each other in their arms…for as long as they could. When they separated Fai smiled.

"So that's why you asked about the years in my country." Kurogane said, voice husky. Fai nodded. Kurogane ran his hand over Fai's grey eye once again.

"The guarantee something for me then." he said, Fai looked at him curiously. Kurogane smirked.

"Don't call me Kurogane."

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><p><strong>On the topic of the magic in Fai's eyes and his Vampire blood. I honestly can't quite remember whether he really is rid of the Vampire blood in his system. I only have books 1-19 of Tsubasa and I don't even know where to start in the manga scans if I want to remind myself. So I've taken my best guess on those two topics and if any of you spot a flaw...again...let me know ^^<strong>

**I hope you all enjoyed it! Don't forget to R&R! I think the best part of this fic was the Established Kurofai ^^**

**And Thanks to all of you who responded with an answer to my question about Fai's Vampirism ^^ It cleared things up for me!**


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